Ken Burns will visit Lexington and Concord on April 17 to discuss his new film, “The American Revolution,” timed to the start of the War of Independence on April 19, 1775.

Burns, who will be joined by co-directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, along with historian Rick Atkinson, author of “The British Are Coming,” will participate in two events with panel discussions that day: one from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington and another from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord.

The film discussion will be one of the first events to kick off the celebratory Patriots’ Day weekend of April 19. This weekend honors 250 years since the first armed conflicts of the American Revolution, including the iconic Battles of Lexington and Concord, with events and ceremonies taking place throughout the weekend.

“I could not be more excited to join people in Lexington and Concord to talk about how their ancestors contributed to this extraordinary moment in our history,” said Ken Burns. “We are honored and thrilled to share this early look at clips from the film as we continue our national tour around the country.”

Burns has produced some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, with over 40 films ranging from topics such as Baseball, to The Civil War, to the life of Leonardo da Vinci. His films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations.

Atkinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian, is the author of seven narrative histories about five American wars. His most recent book, “The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777,” is the first volume in a planned trilogy on the American Revolution. The second volume, “The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780,” will be published on April 29 in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Atkinson also served as an advisor for Burns’s “The American Revolution.”

The much-anticipated series, which has been in production for eight years, was directed and produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by long-time collaborator Geoffrey C. Ward. The filmmakers and PBS scheduled the broadcast for 2025, the 250th anniversary of the start of the war, which began in the spring of 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.

“The American Revolution” examines how America’s creation turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe. The film will premiere on Sunday, November 16 and air for six consecutive nights through Friday, November 21 at 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on GBH in the Boston metropolitan region and on PBS stations nationally. The full series will be available to stream beginning Sunday, November 16 at PBS.org and on the PBS App.

For the full calendar for all events, click here.